Obstacles
by torkahn808
Summary: With the tornado looming closer and closer, Max must make a decision. Will she sacrifice Arcadia Bay for her best friend Chloe, or will her friendship with Chloe prevail? Which does she value more? How will she live with the decision she makes? Is life strange?


It was fucking massive. The tornado loomed in the distance, the force from the gale ready to swallow Arcadia Bay. _This is how it's supposed to be._ Chloe realized. _This is all my fault._

"Don't worry, Max." Chloe grimaced with the effort of carrying her, Max's feet dragging through the grass. "I got you. Now it's my turn to help you." Max was dead weight against her body, but Chloe didn't care. _She's been to hell and back for me without even thinking about it. I can't complain._

 _Ugh. God, screw this rain._ Chloe could barely make out the path as her vision was continuously pelted with the icy cold drops. She started a mental chant with the pacing of her footsteps. _Max. Max. Max. I'm doing it for Max. Max. Max. Max._

 _Max. You're the greatest person I've ever met and you don't even know how much I love you._

"Augh!" Chloe misjudged her footing and fell flat on the ground, the rain soaking through her clothes. Max's body tumbled beside her. "Max!" Chloe attempted to pick her up, but Max slid through her arms.

"Dammit!" She screamed. "Goddammit, Chloe! Can't you be useful for once in your fucking life?" She picked Max up. _I'm not giving up. I won't. I can't. Max. Max. Max._

As Chloe neared the final ascent to the lighthouse, she barely heard Max's groans. She was awake!

"Yes! Welcome back to the land of the living, Super Max." Chloe tightly hugged her.

"Chloe! Ugh, It was so fucking scary Chloe." Max's voice cracking and Chloe could feel her heart plummet to her feet at the sound.

Chloe wrapped Max up in her embrace. "It's okay, Max. I got you. We're together again and that's all that matters."

"Chloe…."

They faced the tornado, it's howling winds getting ever so closer to Arcadia Bay."

"It's scary isn't it?" Chloe said. "Not knowing what's going to happen."

"Chloe, I don't know what to do." Max cried.

 _She's so broken._ Chloe realized. _All this time, she's been saving me and I haven't done a damn thing to help her. What kind of friend am I?_

"Yes you do Max. You've always known."

Max realized what it was. "No Chloe. No. There has to be another way." Chloe could hear the tears in her voice.

"Max. It's okay." Chloe smiled wistfully, feeling tears in her eyes. _I get it now._ "All this time, maybe we've just been preventing the inevitable. I'm supposed to die in that bathroom, Max. You know it."

"No, no, no, no. Chloe." Max cried. "Don't make me choose. I can't do it."

"It's okay." Chloe repeated. "You go back to that bathroom, Max. Let me die. Get those fuckers that got Rachel for me. Everything will be alright in the end." _Maybe at least, I'll finally see Rachel again._

Chloe watched as Max closed her eyes for what seemed like forever. "Okay, Chloe." Max responded. "I'll do it."

Something broke inside her. and she broke down in tears "Don't you dare forget me Max Caulfield." Chloe sobbed. "You're my hero, Max. I love you."

Max's expression nearly killed Chloe, her eyes wide with tears. "What are you doing, Max?" Chloe turned away. "Get the fuck out of here!" Thunder boomed, making Chloe's words barely audible.

Max wordlessly cupped Chloe's face in her hands and kissed her. Chloe's eyes closed instinctively as she remembered the kiss in her room. Only this was a gentle kiss that felt perfect. It was all she'd ever dreamt it would be.

"I love you, Chloe." Max whispered in her ear.

 _Max. I wish we went to L.A, for Rachel. I wish we had more time. I wish we could have been._

"Go Max." Chloe said. "Do it. Do it for us."

Chloe watched Max face the tornado. _I don't know what's going to happen but I want to remember this moment._

The halves of the photo floated away towards the tornado.

The world was quiet.

Chloe couldn't believe it. _Max sacrificed Arcadia Bay for me? What the fuck?_ She was speechless.

"I guess I decided, a world without Chloe Price, isn't a world worth living in." Max sighed,

Chloe could talk again and she didn't know if the void in her mind was of anger or awe. Probably a little bit of both. "Max. What about Kate? Warren? What about Joyce? I'm not that important to the world, Max. I don't deserve to live!"

"Chloe, don't you get it? You are the most important person in the world to me. You are all that matters. It's always been about you, Chloe. From the start."

 _Oh._

They stood hand in hand as the tornado tore through Arcadia Bay. Chloe watched, tears flowing down her face. _All those people died for me. How can I live with that?_

Max was there, suddenly in her arms. Chloe smiled sadly as she felt Max caress her back.

"Max."

"Chloe?"

"Life is strange."

"Understatement of the week." 


End file.
